Return
Correct standard errors can bias meta-analysis
DOI:10.1002/jrsm.1631.png)
Abstract
En 中文
Partial correlation coefficients are often used as effect sizes in the meta-analysis and systematic review of multiple regression analysis research results. There are two well-known formulas for the variance and thereby for the standard error (SE) of partial correlation coefficients (PCC). One is considered the correct variance in the sense that it better reflects the variation of the sampling distribution of partial correlation coefficients. The second is used to test whether the population PCC is zero, and it reproduces the test statistics and the p-values of the original multiple regression coefficient that PCC is meant to represent. Simulations show that the correct PCC variance causes random effects to be more biased than the alternative variance formula. Meta-analyses produced by this alternative formula statistically dominate those that use correct SEs. Meta-analysts should never use the correct formula for partial correlations' standard errors.
Keywords:
bias
mean square errors
meta-analysis
partial correlation coefficients

